Fence post



Oct. 17, 1944. I N. T.'MacKENZIE 2,360,432

FENCE POST Filed July 6, 1942 Patented Oct. 17, 1944 FENCE POST Neal T. MacKenzie, StJPaul, Minn., assignor to General Timber Service,-1nc., St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 6, 1942, Serial No. 449,895

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wooden fence posts adapted for use on farms in the construction of enclosures for livestock and poultry and for fences and for other purposes.

Generally stated, my objects are to provide novel and inexpensive wooden posts of such form as to facilitate both the erection of fences and their removal for use in different locations and having the further advantages of longer life, increased sturdiness and better appearance as compared with conventional posts of like cost.

An important feature of my improved fence post resides in its construction with long, gradually converging opposite faces which facilitate installation of the post by simple driving and increase sturdiness by compressing the abutting earth by wedge action thus obviating the need for tamping.

Other advantageous features of the invention will be understood from the following specification having reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one of my improved posts as erected in the ground with fence wire attached;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the post as viewed from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates my preferred method of cut ting two of the posts from a, rectangular blank of Wood;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rectangular blank or stock as viewed from the right of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, isometric view on a larger scale, showing a short section of the post taken near the ground line, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing the upper portion of a post and a suitable metal driving cap.

As indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, two of my improved posts are preferably cut from a rectangular blank I of Douglas fir or other suitable wood. The length of this blank is equal to the length of the posts, ordinarily from four to seven feet, and it is preferably approximately three inches thick and six inches wide. Such stock is ripsawed longitudinally in a plane extending at an angle to the side edges, as indicated by the dotted line 8, so that each of the resulting post blanks is approximately two inches by three inches at one end (the normally lower end) and approximately three by four inches at the other or normally upper end. In this manner each post is formed with plane, parallel faces 9 and downwardly converging faces IIl extending substantially the en tire length of the post. The smaller end of each post is then formed with a driving point II and the larger end is formed with a driving head I2 preferably of truncated conical shape. The ends II and I2 may be formed by a turning operation in which rotary chucks or cutter heads are operated to and from the ends of the post while the central portion of the post is held in a suitable clamp.

To preserve the posts they should be impregnated with pentachlorphenol, creosote or other suitable toxic liquid. The penetration of such preservative may be increased by forming a multiplicity of incisions I3 in the several surfaces to a depth of approximately of an inch. It is sufficient to space such incisions over approximately the lower half of the post, as indicated, where it is most subject to rot and attack by insects. As shown in Fig. 5 by the stippled area I4, representing the impregnation, penetration of the preservative to a depth of from one-half to three-quarters of an inch from all faces should be obtained. This may be accomplished economically by a method of impregnating comprising the steps of submerging the posts in a hot petroleum oil for a sufficient period and at such a temperature as to drive out the moisture, then withdrawing the posts from the hot bath and immediately submerging them in a relatively cold bath of the preservative liquid in which they are retained for a period of time depending on the depth of penetration desired. After removing the posts from the bath, they are allowed to season for a suitable period of time to allow the toxic liquid to penetrate deeply into the wood.

In erecting the posts I prefer to use an inverted cup-like steel driving cap I5. (Fig. 6) including a head and a depending downwardly flaring skirt, said cap being provided with a truncated, conical socket including an upwardly converging conical inner surface I6 on said skirt adapted to cooperate with the driving head I2 of the post. The angle of the conical surface it relative to its axis is slightly smaller than the angle of the elements of the driving head I2 relative to its axis so that the cap impinges against and tightly embraces the post within the lower skirt portion I! of the cap while the fiat bottom surface of the head of the cap rests on the upper end of the post. By the use of such cap and a sledge hammer or heavy mallet the posts may be driven into the ground quickly and easily along the line of the fence and at suitable intervals. Thereafter the fence wire, indicated by the numeral I8 in Figs. 1 and 2 may be fastened to one of the fiat faces of the post by driving staples IS in the usual manner. The wire is preferably secured to one of the downwardly converging faces ID of each post so that the vertical faces 9 are perpendicular to the horizontal wire strands and the post has maximum rigidity and resistance to the impact of the hammer when the staples 19 are driven.

It will now be understood that the long, plane, downwardly converging front and back faces I function as the post is driven into the earth to compress the earth by wedge action so that it afiords an unusually solid, natural bearing for the posts. The driving of the posts is also greatly facilitated by the long taper and plane contact surfaces but the convergence is so gradual that accidental or unintentional withdrawal is prevented. Another advantage resides in the facility with which the posts may be withdrawn from the ground when it is desired to move the fence to a new location.

While I have illustrated my posts in connection with horizontal strands of barbed Wire, it will be understood that'the posts are equally well adapted for use with other types of metal and wood fence materials and fabrics.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A metal driving cap for use in driving a wood post having a truncated conical driving head, comprising: an inverted cup-like body including a head and a depending skirt, the inner surface of said skirt being conical and converging in a direction toward said head so that a truncated conical socket is provided in said cap to receive the truncated conical driving head of said post, the angle of the conical surface of said driving cap relative to its axis being slightly smaller than the angle of the conical surface of said driving head so that said driving cap is adapted to impinge against and tightly embrace said post within the lower portion of said skirt while the bottom surface of driving cap engages the top of said post.

2. A fence post adapted to be driven into the ground by the use of a driving cap having a bottom wall and a skirt having interior walls which are conical and converge upwardly toward said bottom wall comprising: an integral shaft of wood substantially rectangular in cross section, formed with a ground penetrating point at its lower end, a truncated conical driving head at its upper end, and substantially flat, opposite faces converging gradually downwardly from the driving head to said ground penetrating point, the angle of the conical surface of said truncated conical driving head relative to the axis of said post being slightly greater than the angle of the conical surface of the skirt of said driving cap, so that the lower end of said skirt is adapted to tightly embrace the conical surface of said driving head while the bottom wall of said driving cap engages the top surface of said trun cated conical driving head.

3. A fence post adapted to be driven into the ground comprising: an integral shaft of wood formed with a ground penetrating point at its lower end and a truncated conical driving head at its upper end; and a driving cap on said driving head, said driving cap including an inverted cup-like body having ahead and a skirt depending from said head, the inner surface of said skirt being conical and converging in a direction toward said head so that a truncated conical socket is provided in said cap to receive the truncated conical driving head of said wood shaft, the angle of the conical surface of said truncated conical driving head relative to the axis of said wood shaft being slightly greater than the angle of the conical surface of the skirt of said driving head, so that the lower end of said skirt tightly embraces the conical surface of said driving head while the bottom wall of said driving cap engages the top surface 5 of said truncated conical driving head.

NEAL T. MACKENZIE. 

